Saturday, March 31, 2018

Pro Kabaddi League: 5 players who faded away after good starts

Kabaddi is one of the most thrilling and exciting games originated in India, and has seen a big resurgence in popularity in recent years. This game was revived by the advent of the Pro Kabaddi League.

While many players have risen to fame in millions of fans watching the cash-rich league, there are some who could not maintain the consistency in their performances. Here, we take a look at the five such players who failed to perform and replicate their form.

Rajesh Narwal

The former Jaipur Pink Panthers all-rounder was bought by the new entrant U.P. Yoddha to bolster the squad. But, he had a season to forget as he could manage to garner only 27 points from the 16 games he played. For a player of his calibre, who almost scaled 80 points every season, his form has declined very badly.

UP Yoddha acquired him for Rs 69 lakh, making him the 5th most expensive player bought at the auction. Out of the 58 tackles he attempted, he could only make 15 successful ones. He failed to make it to the squad and warmed the benches in the latter part of the season. Narwal would definitely look to improve his form and come back stronger.

Sukesh Hegde

The Gujarat Fortunegiants raider had a season to forget, except his captaincy. Being called the do-or-die specialist during his time at Telugu Titans, he has become the master of empty raids. For a player of his height and skills, he was considered one of the best raiders in the league. He failed to perform to his potential and live up to the expectations.

After being bought by the Gujarat Fortunegiants for Rs 31.5 lakh, he was appointed as the captain. However, Hegde couldn't replicate his past season's form and managed only 77 points. He would look to perform better as a captain as well as a raider in the upcoming Pro Kabaddi League season.

Rakesh Kumar

Rakesh Kumar was the most expensive player in the first season, after Patna Pirates picked him up for Rs 12 lakh. Last season, the Telugu Titans bought him for Rs 45 lakh. He is a very compatible player and can play in any position and perform well. The 2014 Asian Games Gold Medalist was no longer in his best form and couldn't guide the team properly.

He managed to score only 23 points from the 10 games he played, and the tackles he attempted were mostly unsuccessful. Being the most capped player for India, he is highly regarded among the Kabaddi community. For the most part of the season, however, he found himself in the dugout. He would hope to come back to form and guide the team in the upcoming season.

Nitin Madane

The 2014 Asian Games Gold Medalist had a very disappointing season, playing for U Mumba. The 29-year-old was bought by three-time finalists U Mumba to support Anup Kumar and Shabeer Bapu. However, he lost his place in the side to Shrikant Jadhav, who showcased both his raiding and defending skills.

He did not feature in the second and third seasons of the pro kabaddi league but was bought back by Bengal Warriors to replicate his form of the first season. However, he could not turn the tables for U Mumba.

Having scored 107 points from the 12 games, he played in the first season. However, he only managed to score 13 points from the same 12 games the following year. This shows his decline in form and he would hope to change it.

Ravi Dalal

Being the most underrated raider from the first season, he was never in the limelight. The former Patna Pirates star raider Ravi Dalal failed to replicate his form of the first season. Being an injury-prone player, after the first season he lost his magic touch and gradually declined as a player over the years.

He was the top scorer for the Patna Pirates in the first season and scored a mammoth 111 points. Known for his great bonus-snatching skills and escaping from defenders with ease, these skills have become a thing of past for Dalal. He would surely look to rectify his mistakes and be in the midst of things.